Nepal has just announced a plan to attract international students for the 2025-2026 academic year.
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Efforts to attract international students
According to The Kathmandu Post , during the recent presentation of the draft budget for the 2025-2026 fiscal year of the Nepal government, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel shared that all international students who choose to come to this country will be granted free visas for the entire course of their studies. At the same time, parents or guardians of international students will also be allowed to apply for multiple-entry visas to Nepal.
In order to improve the quality and efficiency of universityeducation management, the Nepalese government also plans to promulgate a new framework law to standardize the operations of educational institutions, as well as plans to restructure university departments and divisions to limit the number of students going abroad to study. In addition, Nepal also plans to develop a stronger university education management body through the reorganization of the current University Commission.
"Universities will be funded based on the quality of education, student numbers and infrastructure," Paudel said, noting that the government would suspend funding to schools if they did not publish an official academic calendar before the start of the academic year.
Currently, Nepal welcomes few international students, mainly from neighboring countries such as Bangladesh, China, and India. Meanwhile, this country is one of the world's leading source markets for international students, with more than 112,000 new students enrolling abroad in the 2023-2024 academic year alone.
However, Nepal’s ambition to attract international students through its visa-free policy is not without its challenges. Notably, the South Asian country’s investment in public education is only 3.68% of GDP, lower than the global average of 4.4% of GDP. Along with that are other problems such as outdated training programs and limited number of study places, according to The PIE News .
"The policy is promising, but there are many challenges: Many Nepalese universities do not have international rankings or are not widely known; some study programs and daily communication are still in Nepali, making it difficult for international students; the visa and admission processes need to be clearer, faster, and more digital; some students may have difficulty adapting to the food and lifestyle...", CEO of Educable Consultancy Nepal Surya Pokhrel shared.
What is special about studying in Nepal?
Responding to The PIE News , Mr. Pokhrel commented that Nepal is trying to build its image as an affordable study abroad destination, with a peaceful living environment and rich cultural identity. Currently, more and more international students are interested in medical fields, studying abroad, and Buddhist studies in this country, not to mention that Nepal is promoting international cooperation, scientific research as well as widely using English in university education.
"Nepal can absolutely become a destination for international students," Mr. Pokhrel affirmed.
Sharing the same view, Ms. Prabha Thapa, Director of International Admissions at ApplyBoard in Nepal, said that Nepal offers "unparalleled" opportunities for practical experience for international students interested in studying the Himalayas, Buddhism or climate science... "Nepal is quite affordable and has many programs taught in English. It is also a country with majestic nature, rich heritage and spiritual traditions," she shared.
According to the Times Higher Education (UK), tuition fees for undergraduate courses in Nepal range from NPR 100,000-500,000/year (VND 19-95 million). Tuition fees are higher for postgraduate courses, especially in fields such as medicine, engineering and business. Meanwhile, living expenses in this South Asian country range from NPR 15,000-30,000/month (VND 2.8-5.7 million), including rent, food, transportation and other expenses.
Currently, Nepal has two universities in the Times Higher Education world rankings: Kathmandu University and Tribhuvan University, both in the 1,501+ group. According to data from the World Bank, the total population in Nepal is about 29.65 million in 2023 with a university enrollment rate of 17.83%.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/mot-quoc-gia-muon-cap-visa-mien-phi-cho-du-hoc-sinh-185250708175300854.htm
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